Covington & Slidell Independent Insurance Agents
Protecting Your Assets with a Business Owners Policy
MNot every BOP is built the same. These features deserve a close look before you sign:
Equipment breakdown: May cover electrical or mechanical failure, like a power surge frying an imaging machine's circuit board. Standard property forms often exclude this.
Business income: Typically replaces lost revenue and continuing expenses if a covered loss forces you to close temporarily.
Spoilage coverage: May pay for vaccines or medications lost when refrigeration fails during an outage.
Flood: Usually excluded from a BOP. Practices in flood-prone parts of St. Tammany often need a separate flood policy.
Named storm deductibles: Louisiana policies frequently carry percentage-based hurricane deductibles, so know the dollar figure before storm season.
Lacombe businesses typically need more than a standard policy. Seafood shops, bait dealers, marine contractors, tradesmen, and industrial tenants along Highway 434 face coastal weather, over-water work, spoilage, and heavy equipment exposure. Pairing the right liability, property, workers comp, and marine coverages may help close the gaps generic plans often leave open.
Lacombe sits in an unusual spot. Within a few miles you can find a bait shop selling live shrimp to weekend anglers on Lake Pontchartrain, a crew driving pilings for a private dock on Bayou Lacombe, and a warehouse tenant loading trucks near the I-12 interchange. Each of those businesses carries a very different set of risks, even though they share the same zip code and the same hurricane season. Business insurance for Lacombe, LA has to account for all of that, and the details matter more than most owners expect.
Comprehensive Coverage for the Highway 434 Business Corridor
Aubert Insurance Agency has been insuring Louisiana families and businesses since 1910. That history shows up in a practical way: we understand how a north shore business can be one storm surge, one injured deckhand, or one failed freezer away from a serious financial hit.
The corridor is also changing. A $4 million roadway improvement project on US 190 between LA 434 and LA 433 is scheduled for completion in late 2026, and the state has made improvements to the US 190 corridor to handle industrial and commercial traffic. More truck traffic and new development usually mean more businesses, more vendors, and more contracts that require proof of insurance before work starts.
Here's what that means for you. A policy that fit your operation five years ago may not match your current lease, your current customers, or the certificates your general contractor now demands. Because we are independent, we can compare options from multiple carriers in one place rather than forcing your business into a single company's appetite. We also take time to explain exclusions, since a policy is a legally binding contract and the fine print decides how claims get paid.
On this page
Aubert Insurance Agency is a local, independent agency, licensed to serve individuals and businesses across Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and Texas.
We serve clients from our offices in Covington and Slidell and throughout St. Tammany Parish — working with dozens of carriers and wholesale markets to help homeowners, drivers, contractors, restaurant owners, property investors, auto shops, professional practices and many other personal and commercial clients find coverage that fits.
Licensed in Louisiana #3661 · Mississippi #15039075 · Florida #W0772236 · Texas #2381820
Understanding the Named Storm Deductible
A named storm deductible works differently than the flat $500 or $1,000 deductible on your regular claims. In Louisiana, it's often calculated as 2% to 5% of the insured value of your personal property. On a policy with $40,000 in contents coverage, a 5% deductible means the first $2,000 of a hurricane loss is yours.
There's some good news in state law. Louisiana's one-deductible-per-year rule (La. R.S. 22:1337) means you generally pay the named storm deductible only once per calendar year, even if two storms hit your rental. Ask your agent to show you that deductible in dollars, not just a percentage, so you can set aside the right amount in an emergency fund.
Insuring Lacombe Seafood and Bait Operations
Seafood markets and bait dealers near Lake Pontchartrain deal with a risk most retailers never think about: their inventory is alive or perishable. A compressor fails overnight in August, and by morning a walk-in full of crabs, shrimp, or live bait is a total loss. Standard commercial property insurance often does not cover that loss on its own.
Coverages worth discussing include:
- Spoilage coverage: May pay for perishable stock lost to mechanical breakdown or temperature change. Some carriers typically require a separate endorsement for spoilage caused by an off-premises power outage.
- Equipment breakdown: Typically covers repair or replacement of coolers, ice machines, aerators, and bait tanks that suffer sudden mechanical or electrical failure.
- General liability: Protects you if a customer slips on a wet floor near the ice chest or gets hurt in your parking lot.
- Product liability: Matters if someone claims they got sick from seafood you sold.
One common mistake we see is assuming a storm-related outage counts as equipment breakdown. It usually doesn't. If Entergy's lines go down after a hurricane and your freezers warm up, coverage depends on whether you added off-premises utility service protection. Ask about that specifically, and ask how long the outage must last before coverage kicks in, because waiting periods vary.
With no lender to satisfy, the decision is yours, and so is the entire loss. A total rebuild in this parish runs well into six figures.
Homeowners who own outright
Your lender requires coverage at least equal to the loan, and will buy a policy on your behalf at your expense if yours lapses.
Homeowners with a mortgage
Being named as a certificate holder just means someone receives proof. Being named as an additional insured means your policy may actually defend and pay for that party if they're sued because of your work. General contractors, developers, and property managers ask for this because they get pulled into lawsuits over subcontractor mistakes constantly.
Read the contract language closely. Some agreements require "primary and noncontributory" wording or completed operations coverage for the additional insured, which needs specific endorsements. Many contractors sign a subcontract agreeing to these terms without checking whether their policy includes them. If a claim comes in and the endorsement isn't there, you may be in breach of contract on top of facing the lawsuit.
Protecting Marine Contractors and Small Trades
Marine contractors and local tradesmen share one problem: their work happens on the job site, not in a shop. A dock builder in Lacombe may run a barge-mounted crane, a pile driver, and a skiff in a single week. An electrician wiring a boathouse may be standing on a pier over open water. Both scenarios can push a claim outside a basic contractor policy.
Equipment is usually the first concern. Tools, generators, welders, and pumps move between your truck, your yard, and the customer's waterfront, and standard property insurance typically covers items only at your listed location. Contractor's equipment coverage, written as inland marine, is designed to follow that gear.
Workers comp is the second concern, and it gets complicated near water. One industry discussion puts it plainly: maritime risk management depends on understanding the distinction between federal LHWCA requirements and state workers' compensation for contractors working near waterways. An employee injured building a pier may fall under federal Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act rules instead of Louisiana's state system. The good news is that the U.S. Department of Labor has introduced a risk-based framework for carrier security deposits under the LHWCA intended to help reduce costs for maritime businesses.
General Liability vs Marine General Liability
A standard GL policy often contains a watercraft exclusion and may not respond to work performed over the water. Marine General Liability is built for those exposures.
| Feature | Basic General Liability | Marine General Liability |
|---|---|---|
| Over-water work | Often excluded or limited | Typically included |
| Docks, piers, bulkheads | May be restricted | Designed for this work |
| Watercraft use | Usually excluded | May be covered or endorsed |
| Damage to customer vessels | Rarely covered | Can be added in many forms |
| Typical buyers | Landscapers, painters, inland trades | Dock builders, marine repair, dredging support |
| Contract acceptance | May not satisfy marine contracts | Often required by marine GCs |
If your crew ever works from a barge or boat, show your agent your contracts before you buy. That one step catches more gaps than any other.
The roof
Age, material and shape drive the wind rate more than any other factor. A fortified roof designation opens markets that would otherwise decline the house.
Liability Needs for Industrial Tenants and Warehouses
Industrial space near the I-12 interchange is drawing attention. An 8.8-acre LED-certified industrial site with DOTD-permitted access near the I-12/Hwy 434 interchange is currently available for sale or build-to-suit. Fabricators, distributors, and storage operators moving into this area should read their leases before they shop for insurance.
The lease often decides what you must insure. In a triple net lease, the tenant assumes responsibility for all property operating costs, including real estate taxes and insurance. That can mean you are paying for the building's coverage, not just your own equipment and inventory. Many tenants learn this only after a roof collapses or a wind claim gets denied.
For property, focus on these questions:
- Does the lease require you to insure the building, or only your contents and improvements?
- Are your tenant improvements, like racking or office buildouts, covered?
- Is there a separate named storm or wind deductible, and how is it calculated?
- Will business income coverage pay rent and payroll if a storm shuts you down?
Workers compensation is mandatory in Louisiana for most employers, and warehouse work produces steady claims: back strains, forklift accidents, crushed fingers on loading docks. Carriers typically price comp by job classification, so make sure your employees are classified correctly. A clerical worker coded as a warehouse laborer costs you money every month.
| Feature | Basic Coverage | Extended Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Property valuation | Actual cash value (depreciated) | Replacement cost (new item price) |
| Liability limit | $100,000 | $300,000 to $500,000 |
| Valuables (jewelry, guns, art) | Low sublimits, often $1,500 or less | Scheduled items at appraised value |
| Water backup from drains | Usually excluded | May be added by endorsement |
| Loss of use | Limited dollar cap | Higher cap or longer timeframe |
| Flood | Not covered | Still not covered (needs NFIP or private flood) |
| Named storm deductible | Percentage applies | Percentage applies, sometimes lower options |
How coverage choices change a Louisiana homeowners premium. Structure only — your rate depends on your property. [CONFIRM figures]
How coverage choices change a Louisiana homeowners premium. Structure only — your rate depends on your property. [CONFIRM figures]
| Scenario | Dwelling limit | All-other-perils deductible | Named-storm deductible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newer build, inland St. Tammany | $350,000 | $1,000 | 2% |
| Newer build, higher wind zone | $350,000 | $1,000 | 5% |
| Older home, updated roof | $275,000 | $2,500 | 2% |
| Older home, original roof | $275,000 | $2,500 | 5% |
| Fortified roof designation | $400,000 | $1,000 | 2% |
| Rebuilt after a prior claim | $400,000 | $2,500 | 5% |
| Bundled with auto | $350,000 | $1,000 | 2% |
Notice how none of these overlap much. A patient injured by a falling ceiling tile is a general liability issue, while a patient harmed by a medication error belongs to malpractice. Having one policy does not fill the hole another leaves.
The employee row trips up more owners than any other. Your own techs get hurt far more often than customers do, and neither garage coverage pays for those injuries. Workers' compensation does.
| Scenario | Garage Liability | Garagekeepers |
|---|---|---|
| Lift fails, customer car falls | Usually no (car is in your care) | Typically yes |
| Lift fails, injures a visiting customer | Typically yes | No |
| Test drive hits another vehicle | Typically yes (other car, injuries) | May cover customer's car |
| Customer slips on oil in the bay | Typically yes | No |
| Employee injured under a lift | No (workers' comp) | No |
| Flood damages stored customer car | No | May apply, depending on form |
| Faulty repair causes later crash | Typically yes (completed operations) | No |
| General Liability | Professional Liability (Malpractice) | Cyber Liability | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Injuries and property damage on premises | Errors in patient care | Data breaches and cyberattacks |
| Example claim | Patient trips over a cord in the hallway | Missed diagnosis leads to a lawsuit | Ransomware exposes patient files |
| Typical source | Included in a BOP | Separate malpractice policy plus PCF | Standalone or endorsement |
| Louisiana twist | Standard commercial rules | $100,000 primary layer, PCF above | HIPAA and breach notification duties |
| Common gap | Excludes treatment-related injuries | Excludes data breach costs | May exclude losses from weak security |
Notice how none of these overlap much. A patient injured by a falling ceiling tile is a general liability issue, while a patient harmed by a medication error belongs to malpractice. Having one policy does not fill the hole another leaves.
Louisiana Minimum Liability vs. Full Coverage
Carrying the state minimum keeps you legal and protects you from No Pay No Play. It does not protect your car or cover significant injury claims. "Full coverage" isn't an official term, but it usually means liability plus collision and comprehensive.
Covington and Slidell are full of people who serve on church councils, school foundations, hospital boards, and civic groups. Louisiana provides real protection here. Under R.S. 9:2792.1, uncompensated directors and officers of 501(c) nonprofits are generally not individually liable for acts or omissions within their official duties if acting in good faith.
That protection has limits. It typically won't help with claims of gross negligence, and it doesn't apply if you're paid for your service. For-profit board seats are a different story entirely: most personal umbrellas exclude them unless a specific endorsement is added. Even with nonprofit boards, confirm the organization carries its own D&O policy, and ask whether your umbrella may offer excess nonprofit D&O coverage on top.
Essential Policies for St. Tammany Parish Small Businesses
Most small businesses in St. Tammany Parish move. A plumber drives from Lacombe to Mandeville, a seafood supplier delivers to restaurants in Slidell, and a welder hauls a trailer to a job in Covington. That movement creates exposures worth covering on purpose.
Commercial auto comes first. Your personal auto policy typically excludes or limits vehicles used primarily for business, and a claim involving a work truck with a business name on the door can get complicated fast. Commercial auto may cover owned vehicles, trailers, and hired or non-owned vehicles when an employee runs an errand in their own car.
Inland marine is the second piece, and the name confuses people. It has nothing to do with boats. It covers property in transit or kept away from your main location: tools, refrigerated cargo, diagnostic equipment, and installation materials sitting on a job site overnight.
For many smaller operations, a Business Owner's Policy is a sensible foundation. A BOP typically bundles general liability, commercial property, and business interruption coverage into one package. It won't fit every business, especially marine contractors with over-water exposure, but for a bait shop or small retail counter it can be an efficient starting point. Layer commercial auto, inland marine, and workers comp on top as your operation requires.
The roof
Age, material and shape drive the wind rate more than any other factor. A fortified roof designation opens markets that would otherwise decline the house.
Frequently Asked Insurance Questions
Do I need commercial insurance if I'm a one-person trade business in Lacombe? Usually, yes. Most general contractors and commercial customers will ask for a certificate of liability insurance before you start, and one lawsuit can easily exceed what a small business can pay out of pocket.
Will my regular general liability policy cover work on a dock? It might not. Many standard GL policies limit or exclude over-water work, so marine contractors often need Marine General Liability instead.
What happens to my seafood inventory if the power goes out after a storm? That depends on your policy. Spoilage from an off-premises power outage typically needs its own endorsement, so ask your agent to confirm it in writing.
Is flood damage covered by my commercial property policy? Generally, no. Flood is usually excluded from standard commercial property policies and has to be purchased separately, which matters a lot this close to Lake Pontchartrain.
What's the difference between state workers' comp and LHWCA coverage? Louisiana workers' comp covers most employees, while federal LHWCA rules may apply to workers injured on or near waterways doing certain maritime work. If your crew builds docks or works around vessels, have your coverage reviewed for both.
Can an independent agency really save me time? In most cases, yes. Instead of calling several carriers yourself, you share your information once and an independent agent compares options from multiple companies for you.
Making the Right Choice for Your Lacombe Business
Every operation along the Highway 434 corridor has its own weak spot. For seafood and bait sellers, it's often spoilage and customer injuries. For marine contractors, it's over-water work and the line between state and federal comp. Industrial tenants should look hardest at lease obligations and wind deductibles, while mobile trades need commercial auto and inland marine that actually follow their gear.
Treat the coverage decision as a review, not a purchase. Bring your lease, your contracts, and a list of your equipment and vehicles, then ask direct questions about exclusions. A policy that reads well on paper can still miss the claim you're most likely to file.
Aubert Insurance Agency has helped Louisiana businesses protect what they've built since 1910, and we'd be glad to help yours. Start a Quote with Kyle Beerbohm today, and we'll shop multiple carriers and explain each option before you commit.
About the Author
Kyle Beerbohm
President
We've been independent since 1910, and four generations of local ownership have kept us that way. We're one of the oldest agencies in St. Tammany Parish and the fourth oldest business in the City of Covington. I treat that history as a responsibility rather than a plaque on the wall. My job is to keep us answering to the families and business owners who walk through our doors, and to keep serving this parish for another hundred years.
Louisiana Insurance Questions, Answered
Questions clients ask us
Short, plain answers to what people ask before they call. Anything else, phone the office and ask.
What does an independent insurance agency do?
We represent you, not one insurance company. We gather your information once, then compare coverage and price across the carriers we hold contracts with. You get choices, and one agent handles the paperwork.
Which types of insurance does Aubert offer?
We write 13 personal lines, including home, auto, flood, boat, and life. We write 15 commercial lines, including business owners policies, general liability, workers compensation, and commercial property.
Do I need flood insurance in St. Tammany Parish?
Your homeowners policy excludes flood, and much of the Northshore has flooded outside mapped high-risk zones. Lenders require it inside those zones. We check your flood zone and quote NFIP and private options.
Which states are you licensed in?
We hold licenses in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Texas. License numbers appear in the footer of every page on this site.
How do you find me a competitive rate?
We take your details once and market them to the carriers and wholesale brokers that fit your risk. We compare the offers, explain the differences in coverage, and recommend the strongest fit.
How do I file a claim or request a certificate?
Call the office or use the Client Center on this site. We report the claim, follow the adjuster, and send certificates of insurance to whoever needs them.
Personal Insurance in Louisiana
Coverage for your home, your vehicles, and your family
Thirteen personal lines sit under one roof. Start with the coverage you need most, and we price it across our markets.
Home Insurance
Protect your house, its contents, and your liability with a policy priced across many Louisiana homeowners carriers.
Car Insurance
Cover every driver and vehicle in your household, and compare limits and deductibles side by side before you buy.
Flood Insurance
Standard home policies exclude flood. We write NFIP and private flood coverage for St. Tammany Parish properties.
Umbrella Insurance
Add a layer of liability above your home and auto limits, so one serious claim never reaches your savings.
Boat Insurance
Cover your hull, motor, trailer, and liability on the lake, the river, and the Gulf, wherever you launch.
Life Insurance
Replace your income for the people who depend on it, with term and permanent options we quote across carriers.
Business Insurance in Louisiana
Coverage for the business you built
Fifteen commercial lines, written for the payrolls, fleets, and buildings that Louisiana carriers ask hard questions about.
Contractors Insurance
General contractors, trade contractors and specialty crews. We cover the liability, tools, vehicles and workers your jobs depend on.
Business Owners (BOP)
One policy bundling property and liability for a small business. Straightforward cover for the building, the contents and the risk.
Professional Liability
Protection when your advice or professional work is challenged. A staple of any commercial package for a service business.
Commercial Property
Landlords and commercial real estate investors. We insure the building, the habitation risk and the income it produces.
Workers Compensation
Protecting your employees protects your business. Medical costs and lost wages covered when someone is hurt on the job.
Commercial Auto
Trucks, vans and fleets. We shop a wide range of commercial auto markets to match your vehicles and your drivers.
Business Insurance by Industry
We protect hundreds of businesses of all shapes and sizes
We know the exposures, the contract language, and the markets that write these trades on the Northshore.
General Contractors
Builders risk, general liability, and comp for homebuilders and remodelers working across St. Tammany Parish.
Plumber Insurance
Plumbers, electricians, roofers, and painters get liability, tools, and auto coverage that satisfies job requirements.
Restaurants
Property, liquor liability, spoilage, and comp for kitchens, bars, and cafés, including Louisiana association programs.
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What Our Clients Say
Neighbours, business owners, and families across Covington and Slidell tell the story better than we can.
Insurance Tips & Local News
Insurance tips for Louisiana homes and businesses
Practical reading on flood zones, hurricane deductibles, and the coverage questions local business owners raise.
Request Your Free Insurance Quote
Tell us what you need covered
Send the form or call the office. A licensed agent in Covington or Slidell answers you directly.
614 E. Boston St., Covington, LA 70433. (985) 892-3101
58418 Tyler Drive, Slidell, LA 70461 · (985) 641-0520
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614 E. Boston St., Covington, LA 70433
58418 Tyler Drive, Slidell, LA 70461
